Cast manganese-steel rail.



No. 812,810. PATEN'TED FEB.- 20,1906.

W. BRINTON. CAST MANGANESE STEEL RAIL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY4. 1904.

WALTER ,BRINTON, OF HIGH BRIDGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO TAYLOR s ra ns Parent, .1

IRON AND STEEL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEWV JERSEY.

CAST MANGANESE-STEEL RAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Fen 20, 1906.

- Application filed May 4., 1904. Serial No. 206,300.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER BRINTON, a

' citizen-of the United States, residing in High Bridge, in the county of Hunterdon and State of New Jersey, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Cast Manganesein such system.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aperspective view of this rail, and Fig, 2 illustrates one method of casting the same.

Steel rails, as ordinarily made, es ecially when located at curves, quickly ecome worn out, so that the life of the rail is com aratively very short. It has, however, been mind by practical test that rails produced from manganese steelthat is, that steel co1nposed of iron and a certain percentage of 1nanganesewhen properly made have much In other words, the cooling of the casting is fore, is to provide a superior manganese-steel rail. In accomplishing this object the rail 2 is cast into the form in which it is to be used. The present practice of 1nakin steel rails is to after the billet or ingot has been cast subject it to a rolling process for the purpose of shaping it into the form in which it is to be used. By casting the rail into the shape'into which it is to be used it is unnecessary to roll or to further treat it other than for the purpose of toughening it or to grind the tread surface thereof, so that the particles or moleculcs of metal are not interfered with and the resisting ruialities thereof not decreased, as is believed to be the case where the rail is rolled into shape, as heretofore, since by rolling the steel is thereby refined, as such rolling tends to change the crystalline condition sist wear so well as when left in the condition 5 g in which it is when cast. In the present instance the final form of the rail, or that form which, as stated, is the form in which it is to be used is obtained by the casting of such rail into its final shape without any rolling or other shaping of such rail, it being subjected to no further treatment thereof other than a toughening treatment and the finishing .of i the treadsurface of such rail. After the rail is cast in the form in which it is to be used, c 5 and in which form it would be extremely brittle unless toughened, it is subjected to heat treatment for the purpose of toughenin such rail. For this purpose I have found t at it is desirable in order to prevent the setting 7c up of dangerous internal and contracting strains,which cause cracks in the casting, and when the rail after it has been cast has solidified to that extent which will permit the same to be properly handled, or, in other words, when it has reached that point where its strength is sufficient to retain its own weight without warping and it is freed from any parts of the mold which would have'a. tendency to retard the contraction or shrink- 8:0 age which commences very soon after casting,

to subject it to treatment to prevent a toorapid cooling, and consequently a too-rapid shrinkage or contraction thereof, and to maintain therein a portion of its original heat determined by the size and character of the rail.

.mal atmospheric temperature-and 1,000

Fahrenheit, according to the size-and shape of the casting. This checking or the main- 5 taining therein of a portion of its original heat is accomplished in one way by covering the casting with sand or preferably placing the same in a pit prepared for thatpurpose, from which drafts of air are entirely excluded, r00 so that all parts of the casting are kept at a uniform temperature throughout until they have cooled down to the right degree of heat for the final toughening. By means of this preparatory stepby which the rail is prevent-Io 5 ed from becoming cold, or substantially so, the metal is never permitted to reach a period of rest from absence of heat, which is be- 1S placed in such furnace, it

I be used without ous contracting strains before final toughening, and the too-rapid cooling of such rail is prevented, so that a gradual and uniform cooling thereof down to the right degree of heat for the final toughening is maintained. The casting is then subjected to heat treat-' ment by in the present instance placing the same in a furnace the temperature of which corresponds or substantially corresponds to the temperature of the cast rail at the time it i then being preferably rapidly heated up to a predetermined pointsay, for instance, substantially an orange-heat-whereupon it is removed and cooled, usually by being immersed quickly in water, such as brine-water, although this 1 step may be effected by other suitable processes. By this means I amab'le to provide a perfectly solid homogeneous cast manganesesteel rail cast into the shape in which it is to the necessity of rolling or otherishaping treatment. The tread is then smoothed or finished by grinding, which is the only practicable way of accomplishing this step, since manganese steel cannot be cut or drilled in any practicable manner By actual demonstration 'rails made in ac, cordance with this process and placed on the 1 elevated roads of Boston, Massachusetts, at curves where the wear is very great outlast sixty of the ordinary steel rails heretofore used, and it has not yet been necessary to replacev the rails, so that the test has not been completed. 4

claim as my invention- 1; As a new article of manufacture, a manganese-steel rail of regulation size and form produced by casting it in the form in which it is to be used as a completed rail, and then I toughening such rail. l

2. As a new article of manufacture, a man- I ganese-steel rail produced by casting ii in the form in which it is to be used as a completed rail and thereupon toughening the rail by heating it and then cooling it.

As a new article of manufacture, a manl ganese-stecl rail produced by casting it in l substantially the form in which it is-to be I lieved to be the cause of intense and danger- I used, thereupon arresting the cooling of the rail after solidification; then toughening the rail by heating it rapidly up to a predetermined temperature, and then cooling it rapidly.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a manganese-steel rail produced. by casting it in substantially the form in which it is to be used; thereu on arresting the cooling of the rail after so idification; thereupon placing the rail in a furnace having a temperature substantially corresponding to the then temperature ofthe rail and rapidly heating the rail in such furnace up to a predetermined temperature and thereupon immersing the rail in a cooling-bath.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a manganese-steel rail produced by casting it in substantially the used; thereupon arresting rail after the rail by heating it and then cooling it.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a manganese-steel rail produced by casting it in substantially the form in which it is to be used as a completed rail, then checking the cooling of the rail after solidification and before such rail reaches a period of rest from absence of heat, and then heating such rail beginning with the furnace in a heated state and applying the heat until, the rail has reacheda predetermined temperature, and then plunging the rail in cold water.

As a new article of manufacture, a manthe cooling of the ganese-steel rai'l produced by casting it in substantially the form in which it. is to be used asa completed rail, then checking the cooling of the rail after solidification at a predetermined point above normal atmospheric temperature, then heating such rail beginning with the furnace in a heated state substantially corresprmding to the temperature ol the rail when the cooling thereof is checked, and then finally cooling the rail.

WA lJ'lE B R]. N TON.

. Witnesses:

JAcon S'raunnn,

solidification; and then tougheningform in which it is to be 

